Cognitive Psychology
February 12, 2025
Overview and Definition of Political Science Political science is that branch of the social sciences that studies the state, politics, and government. Political Science deals extensively with the analysis of political systems, the theoretical and practical applications to politics, and the examination of political behavior. The Greek thinker, Aristotle, defined political science as the study […]
It is no secret that consumers are leading extremely busy lives. In many families, both the partners are working and as a result, neither had the time to cook food. This is where food delivery apps come in handy. Apps like UberEats deliver restaurant food to the consumer at very little extra costs. There are […]
In these times when global corporations operate in many countries across the world, it is important for the employees in these organizations to know the nuances of intercultural communication. It is often the case that many Asian employees (especially the younger lot) say, “they passed out in a certain year from college”. This has different […]
The global business environment has turned increasingly digital in the pasts few years. It is very common for businesses across the world to conduct most of their business online. This includes transacting with customers, employees, suppliers, and even the government. It is for this reason that the role of computers has drastically increased within the […]
Reinsurance contracts tend to be very complicated. As we have already studied in the previous articles, a wide variety of complicated structures with various cash flow probabilities are associated with reinsurance contracts. Hence, it needs to be understood that the complicated nature of these reinsurance contracts sometimes ends up creating complicated accounting policies as well. […]
The concept of Attention is studied in Cognitive Psychology with focus on explaining how we process the environmental information with the help of our sensory receptors.
The term attention is used for various perceptual processes, which involves selection and inclusion of certain sensory inputs as a part of our conscious experience. The process of attention involves the very act of listening and concentrating on a specific object, topic or event, for fulfilling the desired goals.
Attention is a process, which does not only involve focusing or concentrating on one thing, but it is equally concerned about ignoring the competing stimuli or information which is available in the environment.
Attention allows a person to “tune out” the less relevant information, perception or sensation for that moment and instead focus more or prioritize more on the information which is more relevant.
Attention improves our concentration or consciousness on a selective object only, which helps in improving the clarity or focus on the object which is being perceived.
Attention cannot be simply regarded to be a cognitive process only, as it is also influenced by emotions, attitude, interest and memory.
The process of attention takes place through our cognitive abilities, but the behavioural and emotional factors help in the selection of the relevant information or stimuli from the environment for focusing one’s consciousness around one event or thing for having a clear perception.
Classification of Attention by Ross: According to Ross, attention can be classified into Non-Volitional (Involuntary attention) and Volitional (Voluntary attention).
Attention can further be categorized on the basis of needs or circumstances which we may be faced with:
Attention can be influenced by both external and internal factors.
External Factors: These are the factors which are external in nature and are usually governed by the characteristics of the stimuli. These external factors could be related to the nature of the stimuli, the intensity as well as the size of the stimuli, the degree to which contrast, variety or change is present in the stimuli.
The extent to which the exposure to a stimulus is repeated will, also determine the strength of the attention. Moreover, a stimulus which is in a state of motion will be able to catch our attention more quickly than a stationery one.
Internal (Subjective) factors: The subjective factors which influence attention are interests, motive, mind set and our attitudes & moods. It is believed that interest is the mother of attention, as we pay attention or focus on those objects about which we have interest.
Similarly, our needs or motives equally govern our attention for specific events or objects. Moreover, the mental readiness of a person to respond to certain stimuli or preparedness will also determine the attention level for that person.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *